30 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



farmer should, so far as possible, take advantage of the great 

 economy in production due to the commercial system. The 

 farmer should study his soil, his climate, his labor force, his 

 market, and his costs, and adjust his farm operations in such a 

 manner as will enable him to win a maximum profit in cash and 

 direct satisfactions. 



The state should so regulate the marketing system, especially 

 with regard to the sharing of the consumer's dollar among those 

 who produce the goods, that the farmer will be in a position to 

 live as well and save as much from his earnings as those of 

 similar ability with like investments engaged in other occupa- 

 tions. If this is not done, there is danger that those in other 

 occupations will gradually accumulate wealth, buy land, and 

 in the course of time make the farmers subject to them as land- 

 lords. The objective point in agricultural economics is the well- 

 being of farmers as an integral part of a nation. This well- 

 being demands justice in distribution as well as economy in 

 production. Both of these goals are kept in mind as the 

 purposes in view in the chapters which follow. 



